Closing the Dispatch will allow the company to focus its efforts on its daily newspaper in Lawrence and weekly newspaper in Tonganoxie, Stanford said.

The World Company launched The Shawnee Dispatch on Nov. 7, 2002 as a weekly newspaper published on Thursdays and distributed by mail to western Shawnee residents. At its peak, the newspaper was distributed free of charge to 23,000 households throughout Shawnee.

Ogden Newspapers acquired The World Company’s Kansas newspapers in August 2016.

Questions about the newspaper’s closure should be directed to Stanford at 785-832-7277 or by email at sstanford@ljworld.com.